A small Moroccan village just 30 km from Meknes and 60 km from Fez has come in seventh among the 13 most beautiful villages in the world, according to Architectural Digest magazine (AD).
Moulay Idriss Zerhoun was the first Muslim city in North Africa, according to AD, and is now an important pilgrimage destination due to its stunning Islamic architecture. The ancient Sentissi Mosque, featuring a cylindrical minaret—the only one in Morocco—covered in green and white zellige tile mosaic that spells out a surah from the Koran sits at the heart of the village.
The small village of Orta San Giulio, nestled in Italy, outranked all the villages, followed by Frigiliana in Spain, Taxco de Alarcon in Mexico, Gordes in France, Castle Combe in Wiltshire, England, and Guatapé in Colombia.
Coming in 8th is Ogimachi in Shirakawa-Go, Japan. Next on the list are Giethoorn in the Netherlands, and Lamu in Kenya.
British Media outlet “Time Out” also named Ksar Aït Benhaddou, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, one of the world’s twenty prettiest villages.